Protector for milk-jars.



No. 720,341 PATENTED FEB. 10, 1903.

. R. E. GATTER. PROTECTOR FOR MILK JARS.

3141mm M an 1' k W APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1902.

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PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROTECTOR FOR MILK-JARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of- Letters Patent No. 720,341, datedFebruary 10, 1903. Application filed November 29, 1902- Serial No.133,192. (No model.)

that frequently the milk-jars delivered by themilkman in the morning arestolen by irresponsible persons tothe great annoyance of those for whomthe milk was intended, as well as to the milk dealer, who loses therebyhis milk jar or bottle. The percentage of the loss of the bottles orjars forms a considerable item of expense of the retailers of fresh andcondensed milk.

The object of this invention is to furnish a very simple and cheapdevice for protecting the filled milk jars or bottles as delivered bythe dealer from being exchanged or otherwise tampered with; and for thispurpose the invention consists of a device for protecting milk jars orbottles, which comprises a retaining-ring of a size adapted to fit up tothe neck of a milk jar or bottle and provided with a notched shank, astationary casing attached to the jamb of the door-casing and having anopen side adjacent the door, a keeper in said casing, and aspring-actuated latch arranged at the inside of the casing and adaptedto engage one of the notches of. the

shank, so as to retain the shank rigidly in position in the keeper andprotect thereby the jar against removal.

The invention-consists, further, of certain details of construction andcombinations of parts, which will be fully described hereinafter andfinally'pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective View ofmy improved device for protecting milk jars or bottles against theft,showing the jar in position on the door-casing and door. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the same, drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse section through the casing on line 3 3, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 isa vertical longitudinal section on line 4 4, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the hall-door of a privatehouse, apartment, or flat, and B the door frame or casing of the same.To the lower part of the door-jamb is applied a casing C, which isformed of a castmetal case providedwith a slot or recess a at one cornerand which is open at one side where it fits against the door 13 when thelatter is closed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The casing G is attached bymeans of fasteningscrews to the jamb of the door-frame, so that itsslotted corner is at such a distance from the bottom door-sill ascorresponds to the length of the body of the usual quart milkbottles.

Whenit is not desired to place the jar or bottle on the sill, but atsome height above the same, a bracket has to be used, the same beingsecured to the jamb at the proper distance below the casing, and thebottle is then placed on this bracket. In such cases in which the dooris made of iron rods-su ch as the area-doors of private houses, &;c.-thecasing of the keeper has tobe attached to a suitable wooden plate, whichis secured to the jamb of the door or to the stone wall adjacent to thesame. In this case the bottle is usually placed on the lowermost step ofthe basement-stairs. The casing O is provided with a keeper orperforated partition K, extending vertically of the casing, theperforation 19 thereof being in the same plane with the slotor recess 0..In the slot 0 and the perforation p of the casing is guided a shank rof the jar-retaining ring R. The shank is provided with one or morenotches 1, that are adapted to be engaged by a spring-actuated latch L,which is guided in a suitable housing on the partition K of the casing.The inner end of the shank r is provided with a key or other stop 3, soas to prevent its accidental withdrawal from the perforation p of thekeeper or partition-K. The retainingring is preferably made in one piecewith the shank 1", which latter is formed with a rectangular benddisposed in the same plane with the ring portion, so that the ring whenplaced in horizontal position, as when engaging the neck of the milk jaror bottle, will be supported in that position by the bent portion of theshank engaging or being confined between the edges of the slot 0. Therectangularly-bent shank enters into the cornerrecess of the casing whenthe retaining-ring is applied to a milk jar or bottle and the shankpushed inwardly into the casing, so as to be locked by the latch. Inthis position of the ring the full jar is firmly held in position andprevented from being removed by the locking action of the latch and thekeeper on the shank of the ring. When the milkjar is to be taken in inthe morning, it can be readily removed from the protecting device whenthe door is opened, as access is then given to the open side of thecasing C. The latch is then released from the shank by removing it withthe finger, so that the ring, together with the bottle, can be movedoutwardly in the keeper and slot until the second' notch is engaged bythe latch or the stop .9 abuts upon the keeper K. In this position thering can be readily turned up from the neck of the jar, and the jar isat the same time lifted out. The jar is then taken away and theprotecting-ring dropped by gravity into position alongside of thecasing, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4. The empty jar isplaced in the usual manner on the outside of the door, so as to be takenaway by the milkman when he delivers a new filled jar, the empty jar notbeing supposed to be protected by the device. The filled jar is appliedto the protecting-ring by swinging the latter up in a raised position toinsert the neck of the jar, then turning the ring down to a horizontalposition, and pushing the ring and jar together toward the door, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the latch engages the first notch in theshank of the ring, and thereby locks the bottle in position, so that itcannot be removed except when the door is opened to permit access to thelatch in the casing, and thereby to the jar.

The improved protecting device for milk jars and bottles prevents thestealing of the full jar or bottle and obviates thereby the annoyanceincident thereto to the customer. It also prevents the loss of thebottles to the dealer and forms a cheap and convenient device forsecuring the full jar in position and preventing the abstraction of thesame by unauthorized persons.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. Aprotectingdevice for milkjars and bottles,consisting of a retaining-ring of the size of the neck of the jar orbottle, said ring being provided with a notched shank, a casing, akeeper therein for said shank, and a springactuated latch attached tothe inside of the casing for locking the shank in position in thekeeper, substantially as set forth.

2. A protecting device for milk jars or hottles, consisting of aretaining-ring, a notched shank connected therewith, a casing having aslotted portion for receiving said shank, a springactuated latch at theinside of the casing adapted to engage one of the notches in said shank,and a keeper at the inside of the casing for guiding the shank of saidring, substantially as set forth.

3. A protecting device for milk jars or hottles, consisting of aretaining-ring adapted to fit to the neck of the jar or bottle, a bentshank being provided with notches, a stop at the end of said shank, acasing open at one side for fitting against the door and having a recessat one corner, a keeper or partitionwall adjacent to said recess, and aspring-actuated latch on said keeper adapted to engage one of thenotches of the shank, the recess of the casing being adapted to engagethe bent shank to prevent swinging of said ring in locked position,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with means for preventing the longitudinaldisplacement of a bottle, of a movable retaining-ring, means supportingsaid ring adjacent the bottle to be locked, and in position to be movedinto and out of engagement with a free end of said bottle, and means forlocking said ring in engaging position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RUDOLPH E. GATTER.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, HENRY J. SUHRBIER.

